Carbon Buoy Activities

Have you ever wondered what’s inside a scientific buoy? Find out as we pull our NOAA CO2 buoy out of the water and host activities about carbon dioxide in the air and water. You’ll have a chance to learn about how we measure carbon with the buoy instruments and the impacts that excess carbon dioxide has on our climate and on ocean ecosystems.

The buoy, on loan to us from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, has been anchored between Piers 15 and 17 since April 2013, collecting data on water temperature, salinity, and carbon dioxide (CO2) levels in the atmosphere and in San Francisco Bay. We pull it out of the water to calibrate and replace the sensors and to clean off corrosion and the growth of marine organisms.

The buoy will be out of the water and on display from Tuesday, August 8 to Monday, August 13.